Through the comfort and safety of our chartered twin otter our guests can imagine the helplessness and huge challenges facing the Franklin Expedition as they tried to find the Northwest Passage. We visit and interpret the graves of Franklin's crew at Beechy Island with Dr. Savelle who was a participant in the exhumation of their bodies and the revelations that were discovered.
Our guests can visit the world's most northerly bird sanctuary at Prince Leopold Island. Over a dozen species of birds depend upon the island. The island is populated with over 350,000 birds. We land on top of the Island and on the beach, weather permitting, for bird watching and photo opportunities.
Several stops on Somerset Island are a treasure throve of ancient Thule and Inuit culture. We have learned how to follow the archeology of the north to determine some of the most exciting fossil fields, whaling locations, and some of the worlds best arctic char fishing spots. We are always scouting for excellent wildlife opportunities such as musk-ox, narwhals and bowheads, polar bears seals, and caribou.
Each and every day our guests can visit the beluga whales and take pictures, listen to them communicate through underwater hydrophones. The whales are generally a 20 minute walk from the lodge, depending upon the river course in the estuary. There can be as many as 3000 beluga whales in the inlet, many of which can be seen from the shoreline in the immediate vicinity of the guests. There is also adequate time to hike on the tundra and visit waterfalls, wildflowers, and write in a journal. Photographers can pursue the perfect still picture or cinematography twenty four hours a day. The Arctic offers great vistas and wildlife photo opportunities which continuously change depending upon light conditions.
Each evening a presentation is given regarding the natural and human history of the Arctic. The topics include Beluga Whales, The Search for the Northwest Passage, The birds of Prince Leopold Island, Inuit and Thule Culture, plus reports on the results of any research being done by scientific partners of Arctic Watch.
